Attracted
by Oldguy73
Summary: This is a missing scene  sort of . Trip and T'Pol have a short discussion, come to an agreement and take a walk down a corridor.


ATTRACTED

By Oldguy73

A/N: This is a missing scene (sort of). Trip and T'Pol have a short discussion, come to an agreement and take a walk down a corridor. I hope you like their banter. As usual thanks to Dinah for editing, correcting errors of grammar and making one or two changes that make the text better.

"There they go," said Archer.

"Yup, she's going back to become first monarch," said Trip.

"When is that?" asked T'Pol.

"About a year," replied Trip.

"I will bet you would be welcome to attend that," said Archer.

"She did mention that she could get me a seat in the nosebleed section of the bleachers," said Trip.

"But you saved her life."

"Supposed to. Being a commoner and all."

"Certainly she could find you a better seat than that," said T'Pol.

"Well, when I asked her if she dated, she told me she was being courted by many young men from noble families. That she was known on a hundred planets. I guess with all of those people showing up there wouldn't be any room for me," replied Trip.

"A hundred planets!" said Archer in dismay. "We are out here to meet new species, and we had a chance to meet species from a hundred planets. Why didn't you say something? We could have followed them."

"Not sure if she would want me tagging along. She said her parents would frown on my coming around to see her," said Trip.

"But she offered you a seat somewhere," said Archer.

"Sure, she would be crowned and could change the rules then."

"Damn," said Archer.

"Captain, what was that crack you made on the surface?" said Trip.

"What crack?" asked Archer.

"You know," said Trip. "You asked, 'Is this a bad time?'"

"Well, you were in your underwear at the time."

"I told you I had to take off my uniform to make that dummy the kidnapper shot. The princess and I were looking for his phaser in the water when you showed up," said Trip.

"Why look for that?" said T'Pol.

"Because I wanted to use his shuttle to go back to his ship and then use his ship to find you. A phaser to the head is very convincing."

"Okay, I understand," said Archer.

"Why was the princess wearing that dress?" asked T'Pol.

"It was what she had on when I got her out of the stasis unit. That is why," said Trip.

"Why was it torn along the side?" asked T'Pol.

"Because she couldn't get into the escape pod without hiking her dress up to her waist and showing off her legs and underwear, if any. She tore the dress along the side so she could get in without showing anything."

"I will bet you saw both of those things," said T'Pol.

"Both of what things?" said Trip.

"Her legs and her undergarments," replied T'Pol.

""I told you that she tore the side of her dress. I didn't see anything; she turned away when she tore it. Besides I was busy," said Trip.

"Look at the time," said Archer. "I have to feed Porthos." He left hastily.

"Her dress looked rumpled, bunched up at the waist," said T'Pol.

"Probably got that way crawling over a log," said Trip.

"Crawling over a log?"

"Yes, looking for some dry firewood."

"Dry firewood? Why?"

"To start a fire, of course."

"For what? It was very hot on that planet."

"To boil water so we could drink."

"Why didn't you get the firewood?"

"I told you, I was busy. I was trying to figure out the scanner, using what Hoshi had given me."

"Scanner?"

"Yes, I didn't know how long we would be on the planet. The emergency supplies in that escape pod would only last a day. If we were to stay on the planet for a while, we had to eat and I had to know what we could safely eat. I don't like the take-a-bite-and-if-I-don't-drop-dead-it's-all-right-to-eat method."

"Oh, the princess helped you."

"Not willingly. She thought I should be doing all of that because I was a commoner and she was going to be first monarch."

"You worked it out though?"

"We didn't get along like a house on fire, but we didn't kill each other either."

"I doubt if her dress got like that looking for firewood."

"The princess was an argumentative female with a stick up her butt and she let me know my place. Okay?"

"I think you got along much better than that."

"What makes you think so?"

"Every alien female you come in contact with becomes attracted to you, Commander."

"They do not."

"That engineer Ah'Len, the girl on the stranded ship, the princess."

"That is not fair. I was a perfect gentleman. They were just nice to me and not attracted at all.

"Nonsense. Every alien female."

"Every? That is not so."

"Yes, all of the alien females you have come in contact with."

"Not all of them," snapped Trip.

"Yes, all," snapped T'Pol back.

T'Pol was looking at Trip's face. She saw a look of amusement and triumph in his eyes and that maddening smirk on his lips. She wondered if she had fallen into one of his traps. She searched frantically through their conversation, but he answered that question for her.

"You are an alien female I have come in contact with. That means you are attracted to me."

T'Pol realized she had trapped herself with her own words, and he had taken her by surprise.

"No, of course not. You know I didn't include myself. I meant every alien female off the Enterprise."

"You didn't say that. You said all alien females. That includes you."

"Commander Tucker, you must have misunderstood my meaning. I didn't mean me, just the other females."

Trip's smirk got broader.

"You know since you are attracted to me, maybe we can attend next movie night, sit in the very back. I can put my arm around you. You can snuggle up and we can smooch a little. Maybe share some popcorn.

"COMANDER TUCKER! Smooch?"

"Yeah, smacky mouth, kissy face."

"Smacky mouth?"

"Soul kissing, too."

"Soul kissing?"

"French kissing, tongue work."

"I do not understand what you are talking about. I have never heard those terms."

"I can teach you."

"I do not care to learn if they mean what I think they do. I am not going to attend Movie Night with you and share your popcorn or anything else."

"You went on a date with the captain and shared his popcorn."

"I told you that he ordered me to attend the film with him. I only took a few bits of the popcorn and that was a mistake. It stuck in my teeth. I had to excuse myself after the film, go to my quarters and brushed my teeth. It was very annoying."

"Bet it was," Trip said with a grin.

"Anyway, Commander Tucker, I am not including myself in that statement."

"Sure sounded like it. 'All alien females you come in to contact with are attracted to you.' Those were your very words."

"I did not mean it that way. Can't you understand that?"

"You were suggesting that I got cozy with those females."

"It is apparent that you did."

"Why do you spend so much time in the captain's quarters?"

T'Pol was caught off guard again; he had switched subjects so quickly."

"Captain's quarters?'

"Yes, I got witnesses that say you spend a lot of time in his quarters."

"He orders me to go to his quarters."

"Orders you?"

"He says, 'My quarters.'"

"What do you do there?"

"We discuss ship's business."

"Super secret ship's business?"

"No, of course not just ship's business."

"Why couldn't it be discussed in the ready room or on the bridge in front of the others, then?"

"He says it is more comfortable."

"I saw a film once where a female said she was going to change into something comfortable. She went into her bedroom and when she came out..."

"NOT that comfortable! He meant relaxed."

"Well, there is relaxed vertically and relaxed horizontally."

"Commander Tucker, are you suggesting that something improper happened in the captain's quarters?"

"Well?"

"I respect his rank and position as commander of the Enterprise, but I have never been, am not or ever will be intimate with the captain. We have a professional relationship which is all I desire. I do not wish for a personal relationship with him and certainly not an intimate relationship."

"Nothing ever happened?"

"I made certain that nothing improper happened. I would not allow such a thing."

"Well, you sure were suggesting that I was intimate with those females."

T'Pol knew she had to make amends and to get him to accept that she had not shared intimacy with the captain.

"Commander Tucker, I apologize if I suggested any improper conduct with the alien females on your part. I am sorry."

Trip could see that T'Pol was looking at him expectantly, so he let her wait for a few heartbeats.

"T'Pol, I want to apologize, too, for suggesting anything improper between you and the captain. I know that you would never allow that to happen. I am sorry too. Am I forgiven?"

T'Pol nodded.

"Good, then about your being attracted to me..."

"Commander, I thought that was cleared up a moment ago."

"Well, let's say that all alien females I come into contact with became my friend."

"Agreed."

"Then we are friends?"

"Yes."

"Maybe good friends?"

T'Pol wondered if he was setting another trap for her but decided not.

"Good friends."

"Then as good friends shall we go to the mess hall to have coffee?"

"I do not drink coffee."

"Tea for you and coffee for me, then."

"I would enjoy that."

"After you," Trip said.

"Commander, there is enough room in the corridor for us to walk side by side."

Trip stepped up alongside T'Pol. Great, he thought. Captain is out of the picture and she didn't say I was out of it. Now she knows that we are friends, that she is not alone on board and can turn to me when she needs a friend.

They continued to the mess hall. Trip pushed open the door, followed T'Pol in and stepped along side of her again. He resisted an urge to strut. He was walking with the most exotic, beautiful, fantastic female on board. Hell, in the whole damned universe. He wanted to glare at the other males and give them a look that said, "She is with ME." He wondered what T'Pol was thinking.

T'Pol, walking down the middle of the mess hall, was thinking: "Why does it seem so right to have him at my side."

Finis


End file.
